Puebla Attractions

San Francisco de Acatepec Not very much is known about the history of the church. It is presumed to have been constructed about 1730, the tiles (azulejos) being specially designed for it and manufactured in Puebla. Part of the interior was destroyed by fire in the late 1930s. The subsequent restoration work, carried out by well-intentioned local craftsmen, unfortunately fails to live up to the original 18th c. splendour. That such superb churches are to be found in even the smallest towns and villages in the area let alone the larger ones is a tribute to the Spanish who so successfully harnessed the unique artistry and craftmanship of the local Indian population.

Access to the church is through an impressive Neo-Mudéjar-style arch, beyond which stands the triply-articulated, azulejos and brick clad façade. Framed by an irregular arch the portal is flanked on either side by three unequally spaced Corinthian pillars with a statue occupying the niche between. Above, on the mid-section of the façade, estípites (pilasters in the form of an upturned truncated pyramid, a notable feature of the Churriguera style) take the place of the columns, while an emblem of St Francis embellishes the large central window. The outermost pilasters of this section continue upwards in whorls or volutes, the overall effect being that of a gable. A statue of St Francis adorns the star-shaped upper niche above which, at the highest point, stands a sculpture symbolising the Trinity.

The corners of the right-hand tower comprise Salomonic (twisted) columns with ornamental bands of blue and yellow azulejos. Somewhat unusually, the left-hand tower is set at an angle to the façade.

The interior of the church contains a wealth of stucco-work and wood carving, all painted in a profusion of colours and gilded in the Poblano style typical of the 18th c. Of particular interest is an oldish altar-piece (17th c.) with statues finished in the estofado technique - gilding first, then overpainted - and almost lost amidst a welter of gilded Salomonic columns and other ornamentation. Note too the exceedingly intricate and sumptuously ornate door to the baptistery. Greater sobriety prevails in the remainder of the interior, Indian influence being less in evidence here than in Santa María de Tonantzintla.

Tonantzintla - Santa Maria de Tonantzintla Barely a kilometre to the west of Acatepec lies the village of Tonantzintla (2200 m (7220 ft); population: 15,000; fiesta: August 15th, Día de la Asunción de la Virgen María). Whereas in the case of San Francisco de Acatepec it is the façade which is the masterpiece of the Poblano style, here in Santa María de Tonantzintla the same variant of the Baroque finds supreme expression in the interior. In contrast the doubly-articulated façade of the church, kept predominantly red but with blue and white tile ornamentation as well as sculptures, is comparatively plain. The "extravagantly Baroque" interior of the church is quite unique, its breathtaking colouring and its mix of Indian and European elements being the work of anonymous local artists and craftsmen. Decoration embodying the mystic predilection for fruit, flowers and birds so characteristic of the pre-Columbian period, interwoven with Christian motifs, covers every available inch. Outstanding among the many features of interest are, in the choir, the orchestra of Indian musicians and stucco-work scenes with reliefs of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and St Christopher, and in the mid-section of the nave the picture of St Francis and sculptures of St James and St Anthony. High in the dome a bevy of cherubim appear to float earthwards from a flower in a sea of foliage. The pulpit arch exhibits some remarkable stucco-work - crowned devils spewing forth fruit, and ornamental atlantes.

Not far from the church stands a state-owned observatory (built in 1942) equipped with a Schmidt telescope. Inside are frescos by Miguel Prieto.